With the promise of tasty nutrition and a guaranteed quick return on my gardening efforts, I decided to grow microgreens (tiny greens) inside at the Unity Community program using seeds and soil left over from summer programming.
Two 4-foot-long watertight growing pockets (pots) were placed in front of the west window and a fluorescent light was added. The pockets were filled with moist...

The Four Seasons Gardening program from University of Illinois Extension starts the year with Super Sempervivums. The program will be hosted by Livingston County Master Gardeners at the University of Illinois Extension Offices.
Sempervivums, also called houseleeks, live forever or hens & chicks are colorful perennial succulents surging in popularity. Sempervivums and close relative...

URBANA, Ill. – It's winter, and the deciduous trees outside are bare. It's a perfect time to examine your trees "au naturel", said Diane Plewa, a University of Illinois Extension diagnostic specialist.
"Because the trees are 'in the buff," it's a great time to look for damage to limbs and branches that become hidden once leaves cover the tree," she said
One common problem often see...

Last winter was a tough one on many of our evergreens. Most gardeners had severe browning on many of their evergreen trees and shrubs, and some were even killed by the cold winter winds of winter.
This year, take some steps to prevent some of that damage. The problem comes when water isn't available for the evergreens to take up and cold winter winds draw too much moisture out of the pl...

Keeping with the spirit of inside gardening, growing microgreens can be just as tasty as herbs but can be even easier to grow, with added benefits. Microgreens (micro-vegetables or micro-herbs or tiny greens) refers to the stage of growth between baby greens and sprouts. These tiny greens are normally harvested 10-14 days after planting and have fully spread leaves ready to add color, crun...

Home, Lawn and Garden Day 2015
Home, Lawn and Garden Day is the ideal place to get inspiration for future garden projects, fall in love with a must-have plant or learn the basics of everyday Gardening. University of Illinois Extension's McLean County Master Gardeners host their 12th annual Home, Lawn and Garden Day just in time to beat the winter blahs. Online registrat...

Illinois First Detector Invasive Pest Workshop
University of Illinois Extension offers an invaluable program called the "Illinois First Detector Invasive Pest Workshop" in an effort to educate the community on invasive threats to our Illinois landscape. Invasive threats like the Emerald Ash Borer have drastically reduced the number of Ash trees. Another common threat is...

For most gardeners, growing does not cease during the cold months of winter, but it causes them to move their growing operation indoors. Many choose to grow herbs indoors, keeping the house alive with greenery and ensuring a supply of fresh garden herbs in their home-cooked meals. Here are a few tips for creating an indoor herb project:
First, provide enough sunlight and humidity....